LUV vs. UBER: Southwest Airlines vs. Uber Stock Comparison
How do Southwest Airlines (LUV) and Uber (UBER) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Southwest Airlines (LUV) and Uber (UBER) both fall under the Transportation industry group, but LUV is classified in Passenger Airlines while UBER is classified in Ground Transportation.
| Profile Item | LUV | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Southwest Airlines Co. | Uber Technologies Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Industrials | Industrials |
| GICS Industry Group | Transportation | Transportation |
| GICS Industry | Passenger Airlines | Ground Transportation |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Passenger Airlines | Passenger Ground Transportation |
| Market Capitalization | 21.76 billion USD | 140.05 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 2, 1980 | May 10, 2019 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | LUV | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 44.35% | -23.08% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 28.08% | 12.23% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -0.31% | 9.23% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | LUV | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 44.46% | 35.25% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.19 | 1.27 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.39% | -55.29% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 5.76M | 17.48M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | LUV | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.90 | -0.78 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.51 | -1.12 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 13.94% and Uber (UBER) at 12.33% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
LUV
Transportation industry group
13.94%
- Max
- 45.08%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- LUV
- 13.94%
- Median
- 13.94%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
UBER
Transportation industry group
12.33%
- Max
- 45.08%
- Q3
- 22.02%
- Median
- 13.94%
- UBER
- 12.33%
- Q1
- 2.89%
- Min
- -10.45%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 3.34% and Uber (UBER) at 6.13% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
LUV
Transportation industry group
3.34%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- Median
- 5.58%
- LUV
- 3.34%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -11.37%
UBER
Transportation industry group
6.13%
- Max
- 50.36%
- Q3
- 21.18%
- UBER
- 6.13%
- Median
- 5.58%
- Q1
- 1.55%
- Min
- -11.37%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Uber (UBER) at 9.80% runs core operations around its industry’s norm, while Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 4.49% operates in the bottom quartile.
LUV
Transportation industry group
4.49%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- Median
- 11.50%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- LUV
- 4.49%
- Min
- -8.91%
UBER
Transportation industry group
9.80%
- Max
- 59.18%
- Q3
- 29.30%
- Median
- 11.50%
- UBER
- 9.80%
- Q1
- 4.62%
- Min
- -8.91%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | LUV | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 13.94% | 12.33% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.05% | 6.54% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 3.34% | 6.13% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 4.49% | 9.80% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 22.14% | 41.44% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Uber (UBER) at 18.28% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 2.11% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for UBER.
EPS Growth
Both Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 3.95% and Uber (UBER) at 3.73% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | LUV | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 2.11% | 18.28% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 5.63% | 17.73% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 3.95% | 3.73% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -3.16% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Uber (UBER) at 1.23 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 0.47 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for LUV.
LUV
Transportation industry group
0.47
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.78
- LUV
- 0.47
- Min
- 0.22
UBER
Transportation industry group
1.23
- Max
- 2.58
- Q3
- 1.62
- UBER
- 1.23
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.22
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 0.94 and Uber (UBER) at 0.61 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
LUV
Transportation industry group
0.94
- Max
- 2.75
- Q3
- 1.37
- LUV
- 0.94
- Median
- 0.78
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
UBER
Transportation industry group
0.61
- Max
- 2.75
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 0.78
- UBER
- 0.61
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | LUV | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.47 | 1.23 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.94 | 0.61 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.21 | 0.98 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Uber (UBER) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Southwest Airlines (LUV) reports a yield of 1.62%, ranking against industry peers normally.
LUV
Transportation industry group
1.62%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- LUV
- 1.62%
- Median
- 0.74%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UBER
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.68%
- Q3
- 1.99%
- Median
- 0.74%
- UBER
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Uber (UBER) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Southwest Airlines (LUV) reports a payout of 35.12%, ranking against industry peers normally.
LUV
Transportation industry group
35.12%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- LUV
- 35.12%
- Median
- 20.43%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UBER
Transportation industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 100.89%
- Q3
- 41.68%
- Median
- 20.43%
- UBER
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | LUV | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.62% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 35.12% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 21.68 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Uber (UBER) at 40.35 sits in the richer quartile — UBER needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
LUV
Transportation industry group
21.68
- Max
- 46.76
- Q3
- 30.87
- LUV
- 21.68
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- Min
- 0.00
UBER
Transportation industry group
40.35
- Max
- 46.76
- UBER
- 40.35
- Q3
- 30.87
- Median
- 20.58
- Q1
- 10.44
- Min
- 0.00
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 0.69 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Uber (UBER) at 2.48 sits in the pricier quartile — UBER costs more per dollar of sales.
LUV
Transportation industry group
0.69
- Max
- 4.35
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- LUV
- 0.69
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
UBER
Transportation industry group
2.48
- Max
- 4.35
- UBER
- 2.48
- Q3
- 2.07
- Median
- 0.93
- Q1
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.04
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Southwest Airlines (LUV) at 2.97 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Uber (UBER) at 5.06 carries an above-peer premium to book — UBER is pricier on assets.
LUV
Transportation industry group
2.97
- Max
- 6.29
- Q3
- 3.39
- LUV
- 2.97
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
UBER
Transportation industry group
5.06
- Max
- 6.29
- UBER
- 5.06
- Q3
- 3.39
- Median
- 1.90
- Q1
- 1.03
- Min
- -2.07
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | LUV | UBER |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 21.68 | 40.35 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.69 | 2.48 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.97 | 5.06 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -2.82% | 5.29% |